Wood is one of the most tough materials on planet earth. It's environmentally friendly and it grows on tree. There are thousands of different types of wood but there is one in particular that interests us : Yew, for many good reasons.
'Yew' is the wood of choice for making longbow. Now, why Yew is so perfect for making longbows ??
Well, two main reasons : a longitudinal part from its natural tree shows two distinct sections;
* Very pale colour sap wood contrasting with the
* Orange hard wood .
The sap wood is very good in resisting tension so this part form the outside curve. The hard wood is good in resisting compression, forming the inside curve.Longbows used as long ago in the middle ages in wars as they are really powerful lethal weapons, but nowadays longbows are made for hunting and target shooting. So, just how effective was the longbow ??
Would you believe that the longbow can easily penetrate a car bonnet !!
Also, can you imagine that a single longbow at the middle ages would weigh 100-150 pounds ( 30-50 Kg ) !!
Thank god we are in 21th century ;) ;)
